Property Owners: Here Is What We Want From Your Airbnb for a Mid-Term Rental
Is your Airbnb property cut out for mid-term rentals? What looks cool — and may get good reviews from couples spending a weekend — doesn’t always work for months of living. Don’t risk your host rating trying to be everything to everyone.
Professionals taking advantage of working from anywhere can be fantastic guests. We aren’t bachelorette groups who throw up all over your sofa or cause complaints from the neighbors, or the guests who call asking for early check-ins and eight more towels. We tend to be conscientious rule-followers. We need a good relationship with our host if our longer stay is going to go smoothly. Smart hosts also know that longer rentals = less wear and tear and more care for the property.
Get these things right and enjoy better bookings and glowing reviews.
1. Know what your property is not.
Think of your rental property like a product you are marketing. One of the first key questions is “who is our target persona for this product?” When the floorplan was laid out and the furnishings went in, who was in mind?
For example, the kitchenette photo above. You could say it’s great design. It’s modern, the colors are appealing, and it makes the most of the square footage with floor-to-ceiling cabinets. But you could also say it was never meant for a family of four living there for several weeks or months. The dutch oven on the stove makes a cute photo on Insta, but literally does not fit in the tiny kitchen sink, not to mention lack of counter space for meal prep.
The kitchen is likely your number one place to evaluate. Many properties can squeeze a desk into a bedroom and call it a workspace, or replace a pedestal sink in a bathroom with a more usable vanity with drawers. A kitchen remodel, though, can be cost-prohibitive, or there just isn’t the floor space. If you’re in an area where short-term rentals are permitted, occupancy rates are good, and your Airbnb was designed to be a short-term vacation stay, let it be what it is. Don’t make monthly rentals an option on the listing platforms and risk having dissatisfied customers.
2. Invest in a good look.
You might say “duh, of course,” but it is staggering how many people list properties for rent with décor that is mismatched, outdated, or downright ugly. Short-term vacationers may not care. For them, it may be about a location close to the sights they want to see, or just a decent bed after a night on the town. Mid-term and long-term renters are looking at spending a lot more time in the space, especially if they are digital nomads whose office will be there. Attractive interiors matter.
Unlike a short-term rental, you (or a trusted property manager) are probably going to go through the property between guests, so you don’t have quite the same worries as a quick flip by your cleaning service when they may not notice missing items. In other words, you could put a cool sculpture on the mantel or a decorative jewelry tray on the dresser.
What if all this doesn’t come naturally to you, or you don’t have time to figure it out? If your property’s income potential justifies it, hire a local interior designer. Houzz.com has online portfolio galleries for designers you can search by ZIP code. If your project includes construction work, a designer can help ensure a beautiful outcome and cohesiveness for the entire space. They bring creativity and knowledge; for example, designing built-ins that make the best use of small spaces where a pre-fabricated piece of furniture may not fit. Many designers are also great project managers, making sure all the pieces come together in the timeline you need, and have relationships with tradespeople to get the job done.
If your project is more decor than renovation, the following retailers offer free design services, even for small projects. Check out their aesthetic and choose the one that suits your area and budget. Tell them you want contract-grade furnishings that are designed for commercial durability. When materials don’t stain or scratch easily, that’s less property management hassle for you, and the pieces should last longer.
- Joss & Main‘s contract-grade furnishings are at a mid-price point. Because the supplier is Wayfair, fulfillment tends to be faster than traditional furniture stores, so your property can be ready for listing sooner.
- Allmodern. Same as above, for more contemporary looks.
- Pottery Barn will come to the property and take photos and measurements for you, if it’s within a 60-mile radius of a store, but some items may take weeks or months to produce.
- Crate & Barrel‘s customer service is excellent, and their Design Desk will also come to the home in some areas. Fill out their form with the ZIP code of your property. Same consideration on timing, though.
If you’re able to devote some time to a design project yourself, there are countless resources on the web to R&D (that’s “rip off and duplicate!”). Have brown granite countertops you can’t replace? Search “color palettes that go with brown granite.” You can purchase curated decor palettes on Etsy for $15-20. Stick to the colors in the palette when choosing wall paint, furnishings, and accents, and they’ll work together well. The Life From Anywhere Editorial crew has put together a Pinterest board with vetted ideas you can copy.
AI tools can be useful for visualizing changes to a space. DecAI may be one to try, or if you already use ChatGPT, why not give it a shot? One caveat: some users report that specific paint colors aren’t rendered correctly by ChatGPT-5. If you want to visualize how a specific color will look in a room, the paint manufacturers have online tools for that.
Here’s an example of using ChatGPT to visualize and get ideas to convert an Airbnb bedroom to a mid-term and long-term rental bedroom:
One last word on this: if you own your property, its value as an asset can increase with good interior design. In a study from the College of Architecture at University of Nebraska–Lincoln, new homes that involved a designer “exhibited an average total price per finished square foot of $54.67 above the non-designer homes.” Do the math on your square footage, keeping in mind that was in the Midwest. That value is in addition to higher rental rates and increased occupancy for a more desirable property on the rental market.
3. Help them live like a local.
Mid-term guests are much more likely to need medical and dental care, a gym (if your property doesn’t have one), and a veterinary office, if they have pets. They may require mailbox service if their stay is several weeks or longer. If you take a couple hours to put together a guide, you can advertise this in your listing and stand apart from the hosts who just checked the box to allow monthly rentals. Your guests will appreciate your recommendations, starting things off on a positive note for a great stay and five-star review.
If you don’t have experience with mailbox services, you should know that U.S. post offices won’t rent a post office box for a period shorter than three months. The UPS Store in the area might —each franchise sets its own policies on minimum terms. You can also recommend a service like Traveling Mailbox.
Other recommendations you can make:
- farmers markets or CSAs
- yoga studios
- places that accept donated goods (like Goodwill)
- bike shop that does repairs
- dog parks (if you allow pets)
- pharmacies
- co-working spaces or conference space for rent nearby, if a more private or soundproof space is needed
- recycling centers, if your property doesn’t have curbside recycling
Of course, they can Google for these needs, but reading reviews and making phone calls takes time. Your connections can be valuable.
4. Provide more details in your listings.
Busy professionals, especially those who are also busy parents, appreciate service that saves them time. They don’t want to have to reach you to chase down details. By meeting their needs up front with plenty of information, you send the message, “I get you, and I got you.” Disclosing everything also helps ensure that they don’t have a reason to try to end the rental period early.
Details that help people choose a mid-term rental:
- the specific size of each mattress in each room, the firmness level, and types of pillows available (soft, firm, down?)
- how much dresser and closet space does each room have?
- for any family members with allergies, are there allergen-proof enclosures on all pillows and mattresses? Have there been pets in the space previously? Are the rugs, upholstery and curtains cleaned on a regular schedule?
- an honest assessment of noise. How much can they expect to hear neighbors or city sounds? Are the workspace(s) quiet enough for video calls with clients?
- photos of the kitchen appliances, utensils, pots and pans can be really helpful for those who cook
- how deliveries are handled. For example, do Amazon deliveries go to a central mailroom or clubhouse that is only open certain hours? Will FedEx not come down your road?
- seasonal changes that may affect their stay. If you use a snow removal service in winter, what time can they expect it to be done? In warmer seasons, do they have control of when the air conditioning is turned on, or is that decided by a building superintendent?
- details of the storage space that will be available to them (for bicycles, kayaks, ski equipment, etc.). Dimensions and photos are great
- if it’s a condo association or building with limited parking, share the specific parking policy for rental tenants. It’s not enough to say there is overflow or guest parking available. How many vehicles can they bring and park every day?
If you’re a real estate investor, what have you learned that can help others? Or if you’re living Life From Anywhere in a rental property, what do you wish was there? Share in the comments below.
The author is an experienced entrepreneur, former Airbnb and VRBO host with a 5-star rating on both platforms, and now on the other side, a long-term renter working away from home.
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